EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:1 Ezra Discovers and Confronts the Problem of
Intermarriage. Ezra discovers that the Jewish community has mixed with
idolatrous non-Jewish groups in religion and in marriage. He leads the
community in repentance and in a systematic separation from the
foreign women and their chil... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:3 Ezra mourns that the “holy race” has
compromised its newly won salvation by returning to the sins that had
brought judgment in the first place.
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EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:4 TREMBLED AT THE WORDS OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL
describes eagerness to obey God and respect for his holiness (see
Isaiah 66:2).
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EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:6 Ezra confesses for the community, beginning
with the historic sins of Israel that had led to the Babylonian exile.
OUR INIQUITIES... OUR GUILT. These two strong terms are each repeated
twice. Ezra knows that his people had deserved to be exiled because of
their sins.
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EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:7 THE DAYS OF OUR FATHERS. The time before the
exile (see Zechariah 1:4). The terms SWORD, CAPTIVITY, PLUNDERING, and
SHAME sum up the disasters experienced for failing to keep the
covenant. They also bring to mind the consequences for disobedience
noted in Leviticus 26:14 and De... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:8 FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, that is, for the time
following Cyrus’s edict, Israel has enjoyed God’s FAVOR. It has
actually been nearly a century, but that is “brief” compared to
Israel’s long history. Ezra refers to the returned exiles as the
REMNANT, as does Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:2; se... [ Continue Reading ]
EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:9 WE ARE SLAVES. The exiles remain under the
authority of PERSIA (see Nehemiah 9:36). Even so, God has shown the
STEADFAST LOVE that characterizes his covenant with Israel. He expects
the same from Israel in return (compare Hosea 6:6). JUDEA. See note on
Ezra 2:69.
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EZRA—NOTE ON EZRA 9:10 Ezra alludes to Deuteronomy 7:1 and the
community’s unlawful intermarriage. IMPURE... IMPURITY...
UNCLEANNESS. The indigenous people’s way of life and worship is
totally incompatible with the life and worship required by the holy
God of Israel.
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